News

Ontario Opening New Hospice in Northumberland

More Patients and Families in the Northumberland region to receive compassionate palliative care closer to home

Ontario is partnering with local communities to build a new hospice that will provide 80 people each year in the Northumberland region better access to compassionate palliative and end-of-life care, closer to home.

Lou Rinaldi, MPP for Northumberland-Quinte West was in Cobourg today to announce Community Care Northumberland’s new 6-bed residential hospice. Once completed, the new hospice will provide nursing and personal support services to patients and their families closer to home.

By providing capital funding to eligible hospices to supplement local fundraising efforts, Ontario is supporting the creation of new and expanded hospices across the province. This investment will help more than 2,000 additional people and their families access palliative and end-of-life care each year.

Residential hospices provide expert care in a home-like environment, giving families and friends the space and care they need to be with their loved ones at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.

The Northumberland Hospice Care Centre will provide palliative care 24 hours a day, seven days a week at no cost to clients, serving approximately 80 residents annually. There will also be individuals and families that will come to the hub for Hospice supports and programs. This will average approximately 250 to 300 people per year.

The Northumberland Hospice Care Centre will be a new free- standing two - level 15,000 square foot building located on Ontario Street north of the 401 in Hamilton Township. The new hospice centre will build upon the continuing development of “Hospice Hubs” model of care, a centre of excellence in hospice palliative care, grief and bereavement support.

Expanding access to compassionate palliative and end-of-life care is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

QUOTES

“I am delighted to announce more funding for hospices across Ontario. In 2016, we committed to expanding palliative and end-of-life care so that all Ontarians can receive high-quality and compassionate care closer to home. Helping hospices to open new beds will mean that even more people can benefit from their supports.”

— John Fraser, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

“I'm very proud of our government's commitment to hospice care throughout Ontario. This announcement of a new hospice facility to help and support families and patients right here at home in Northumberland is something we can all be proud of. Hospice care centres provide compassionate and caring environments for patients and their families under some of the most difficult circumstances we face."

— Lou Rinaldi, MPP, Northumberland-Quinte West

“Today’s announcement is very welcome news as we work collaboratively to ensure that new and expanded palliative and end-of-life services are available to local residents. We look forward to continuing to support Community Care Northumberland and the Northumberland Hospice Care Centre as they take another step on the journey to provide residential hospice care in the Northumberland sub-region as we continue to advance integrated systems of care to help Central East LHIN residents live healthier at home.”

— Louis O’Brien, Chair, Board of Directors, Central East LHIN

Having this support from the Province of Ontario is key to the success of our Northumberland Hospice Care Centre project. The realization of this project will mean that individuals with life limiting illnesses will be supported throughout their journey and have options of where they want to spend their last days supported by family, friends and loved ones.”

— Trish Baird, Executive Director, Community Care Northumberland

“We are honoured to be a part of this journey, helping to create a foundation for a Hospice Centre that will be welcoming, safe and secure and where individuals and their families will find dignity, reassurance and respect during end of life care. We very much appreciate the funding announced today from the Province of Ontario. This funding support will move the Hospice Centre that step closer from being a dream to becoming a reality for the residents of Northumberland County “

“You can never predict the intensity or duration of serious illness, death and dying. I feel so privileged to have had such wonderful, understanding people provide the support, preparation and comfort that Community Care Northumberland hospice services provided my family and me.”

— Hospice Client, Community Care Northumberland

QUICK FACTS

Ontario will provide up to $1.2 million to help fund the costs of building the Community Care Northumberland. Once construction is complete, the province will provide $630,000 in annual operating funding.

The government is delivering on its 2016-17 commitment to supporting up to 20 new hospices across Ontario within three years by contributing to the construction and renovation costs for hospices.

In 2016, the province announced an additional $75 million for hospice and palliative care over three years. This additional spending will be on top of the $80 million already announced for hospice and palliative care, bringing the total to $155 million.